Police confident of solving murder number two

St. John’s, Antigua: The police are confident that they will soon solve what is now the country’s second murder for the year following the death of Kadeem “Maxi Priest” Lewis who succumbed to the gunshot injury he sustained Saturday night, according to a report in the Antigua Observer.

The 22 year-old, who was languishing in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with a bullet wound to the head, died at about 06:00hrs yesterday.

The Observer stated that although police have no suspects in custody, Head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Nuffield Burnette, said that with “the bits and pieces of information coming to hand” he expects there would soon be a breakthrough in the probe.

The senior officer said several “items of evidence” were recovered from the scene and the necessary testing will be done.

Even as he thanked the public for coming forward with information, ASP Burnette said he hopes people would co-operate in a similar manner as they did when Dorothy Prince, 40, was gunned down during an armed robbery at her workplace on February 17. As a result of the public’s assistance lawmen arrested and charged three men with Prince’s killing.

The Observer reported that Lewis’ family is, in the meantime struggling to come to grips with his death. His sister, Joanne Merchant, who said the family wished to stay out of the public’s eye, said relatives are “hanging in” as their worst fear is now a reality.

Police reported that the youth was sitting in a motorcar with a friend near his George Street home at about 21:20hrs when a lone gunman walked up to the vehicle and shot him in the head.

He was taken to Mount St John’s Medical Centre where he was placed on life support until he died, the Observer stated.